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Re: Week 11: FAU (11/11)

I still want to win (of course). But I want to see a tidal shift in Holtz's approach. I know it's a pipe dream. But I kind of hope Skip learned something when NT went for it on 4th down from their own 30. That sometimes the risk is worth the reward, and more importantly what it does for your team's psyche to know that your coach believes in you enough to take that risk from time to time, and when the win is on the line.

I see a lot of talk about heart of this team, and I think it's a confidence thing. I'm sure our kids have heart. In fact, Skip keeps making the injury case... if injuries are as bad as he says, and I don't doubt they are, then there is some heart out there, and we are competing, but it seems this team really needs a confidence boost. They need our coach to believe in them enough to stop playing for field goals...to blitz late in close games and on 3rd and longs to show some faith in them that they can execute. J'mar's passes, especially in the USM game, reminded me of the kind of throws Scotty Young made regularly in '13. Similarly, I think Scotty struggled with confidence. I don't blame Skip for that, I just think he hadn't played in "full game time for speed" for so long that when he was confronted with it, he lost all confidence quickly. When I look at J'mar it hasn't all been pretty, but at the South Carolina game he pretty much marched us down the field all game (with little, to no run game)...he stared down receivers, but he made the throws. Then he made a terrible decision, and the SC defender made a great play. And Skip pretty much closed the book on him, until we surrendered the lead. We hadn't punted all day, and the two drives after that pick were 3 and outs (if memory serves me correctly, I know there wasn't much to them), as Skip went conservative, because OMG our Soph. QB threw an interception. Skip showed no confidence in his QB, and J'Mar's confidence has eroded since.

In a perfect world, when Skip talks about all the injuries, he would point out that despite all of that this team has played good enough to win almost all of our games, it is on me and the coaching staff to find a way to deliver. We need to change. (maybe he has said things (?), in which case he needs to ACT)

I'm not hopeful, but I can't see what Skip has to lose. I'm 99% sure he'll get a pass on this year, even if he goes 4-8. Open the book up, throw in some trick plays even. Full throttle play to win. If he does that and manages even 2 of the last 3, it will work wonders for our team's psyche.

Re: Week 11: FAU (11/11)

Originally Posted by Guisslapp

Last year was last year. FAU is undefeated in conference. Given that, I am surprised we are only 5 pt dogs.

We lost two receivers and a safety who didn't tackle well. Trent Taylor would not be making catches if he were here because we don't throw across the middle. We replaced him with an excellent inside guy who rarely gets a touch. Carlos would likely be getting overthrown just like our wide open receivers are now.

Saying all that we lost a QB and our HC didn't have another even decent QB ready to step in.

How does a three win team improve so much and a 9 win team struggle with its easiest schedule ever? Coaching. Absolutely sickening!

Re: Week 11: FAU (11/11)

Originally Posted by PawDawg

We lost two receivers and a safety who didn't tackle well. Trent Taylor would not be making catches if he were here because we don't throw across the middle. We replaced him with an excellent inside guy who rarely gets a touch. Carlos would likely be getting overthrown just like our wide open receivers are now.

Saying all that we lost a QB and our HC didn't have another even decent QB ready to step in.

How does a three win team improve so much and a 9 win team struggle with its easiest schedule ever? Coaching. Absolutely sickening!

How did we improve from a rarely bowler to a back to back to back (3x) bowl winner?

Re: Week 11: FAU (11/11)

Originally Posted by Guisslapp

How did we improve from a rarely bowler to a back to back to back (3x) bowl winner?

You mean before Dykes? He was 2 for 3. Even Dooley got us in one when the WAC only had 4 tie ins. Teams with losing records now qualify for bowls so it's really not a big deal like it was in 2000. Holtz teams have under performed in all three of the bowl years. He mismanages his QB situation and now can't win with our easiest ever schedule. He is bad.

Re: Week 11: FAU (11/11)

Originally Posted by PawDawg

You mean before Dykes? He was 2 for 3. Even Dooley got us in one when the WAC only had 4 tie ins. Teams with losing records now qualify for bowls so it's really not a big deal like it was in 2000. Holtz teams have under performed in all three of the bowl years. He mismanages his QB situation and now can't win with our easiest ever schedule. He is bad.

I have to agree with you on that PawDawg, even JBIII got us into the Boise bowl to play Clemson, Bowl games were a real privilege just 10-15 years ago, now they are like Dollar General Stores, hell everybody's got one.

As far as why all of a sudden we are not a conference championship caliber team anymore, plenty of blame to go around. The college game is all about the QB, we have had three consecutive good QB's, Skip even helped develop the third one. We did not develop a fourth one, remember, this game is all about the QB, good QB=good team, bad QB=bad team. When the main part fails, it needs repairing or replacing, and someone to admit it is failing.

Re: Week 11: FAU (11/11)

Skip is trying to force "his guy" on us. Did he actually recruit either one of the quitters? I doubt it. I've been critical of the quitters, but looking back they knew no matter how well they did, they had a loser coach who would never play the best.

Re: Week 11: FAU (11/11)

Originally Posted by PawDawg

Skip is trying to force "his guy" on us. Did he actually recruit either one of the quitters? I doubt it. I've been critical of the quitters, but looking back they knew no matter how well they did, they had a loser coach who would never play the best.

glad you are coming around

Your #2 QB and 3 or 4 QB both leaving almost simultaneously is not a good sign, they did not both leave because they were QUITTERS, cowards, or afraid. I think they left because they felt even if something happened to #1 and they got to play, they did not want to play for that Coach. Neither QB felt like waiting for that one play that would put them in or waiting for #1 to graduate, it just was not worth it to wait and play under the conditions they felt they would be playing under.

Those QB's wanted to be in a system where they could flourish and have fun, two options they probably were not going to have even if they stayed and were ALLOWED to play.

Re: Week 11: FAU (11/11)

Originally Posted by PawDawg

Skip is trying to force "his guy" on us. Did he actually recruit either one of the quitters? I doubt it. I've been critical of the quitters, but looking back they knew no matter how well they did, they had a loser coach who would never play the best.

Finally.

There's no doubt in my mind that Jack Abraham and Price Wilson knew J'Mar Smith was an Emperor with no clothes, and they just couldn't get Skip Holtz to give them a fair shot. It's plain as day now.